It has long been recognized that waves and/or tidal forces contain tremendous amounts of potential energy which, if harnessed, could not only supply substantial power but might also, if appropriately installed, protect large areas of shore line from the ravages of oceanic erosion.
In the prior art, extensive patent literature exists dealing with the subject of "wave motors" and relating to various ways of utilizing floats which rise and fall with passing waves, the movement of the floats being translated by various means into mechanical energy, and then into electrical energy. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 321,229 and 1,647,025 disclose compressed air storage in combination with a wave motor. U.S. Pat. No. 2,706,077 is titled "Ocean Wave Air Compressor". Other forms of energy storing means are known to this art, including means utilizing balance wheels or flywheels in combination with various mechanisms for supplying power from waves. Additionally, the art teaches the use of multiple pontoons, or floats, the floats being arranged in various ways for improving the continuity of power derived from the passing waves, while occasionally also showing means for deriving energy from the lateral motion of waves as well as from the up and down motion of waves. In these regards, please refer to U.S. Pat. Nos. 242,233; 787,182; 879,992; 975,157; 1,403,702; 1,471,222; 2,668,918; 3,487,228; 739,538; 2,749,085; 581,067; 1,377,163; 791,366; and 884,080.
While many of the devices disclosed in the prior art are no doubt operative, the failure of such devices to gain widespread acceptance suggests that these devices may, in practice, be too expensive, complex, and difficult to maintain to serve as practical energy sources.